To Have and to Hold
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: Elphaba and Fiyero's happy ending - or perhaps 'happy beginning' is better, in their case. A fluffy Fiyeraba family sequel to To Protect and Serve. Three-shot.
1. Weddings

**Well. Hello, there. It's... been a while.**

 ***lots of crickets***

 **The truth is that I haven't actually finished any fanfics in a really long time. I suppose it's a case of 'real life' getting in the way. However, Sara (VinkunEmeralds) re-read To Protect and Serve and requested a sequel, which I happened to have sitting in my Documents, so... here you go. Hope you enjoy!**

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 **1\. Weddings**

As expected, despite the shortened guest list, the wedding of Cohvu Daling and Galinda Upland (of the Upper Uplands) was grand, fancy, and filled with pink – from the groom's tie and the beading on the bride's dress to the flowers and the decorations. The ceremony was held in the middle of the largest park of the Emerald City, in a gazebo overlooking the lake below, surrounded by trees, bushes, and flowers. There was a pink carpet covering the path leading to the gazebo and white chairs had been set up in the grass for the wedding guests to sit on, with pink ribbons tied around them. The only way Elphaba could think of to describe the whole thing was 'very Galinda'.

Still, she couldn't deny that the ceremony itself was beautiful. Cohvu looked very smart in his suit and Galinda, thirty weeks pregnant, with a nicely rounded belly and positively glowing, looked wonderful in her wedding dress. They both cried as they spoke their vows (Galinda a little more than Cohvu, mainly due to hormones) and exchanged rings; and everyone applauded and cheered when they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Straight after that, the petite woman was swarmed by guests coming up to hug her, congratulate her, and talk to her. Elphaba and Fiyero waited, but it was clear that Fawn and Xalo were getting a little restless and so the green woman gave them permission to play in the park for a while.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Fiyero asked worriedly. "What if they get lost?"

Elphaba nudged him playfully with her hip. "Look at you, being an overprotective parent," she teased him gently. She smiled. "Just wait a few more hours and you'll legally be their stepfather."

He looked even more worried at that. "What if I suck at it?"

She rolled her eyes. "You won't."

He didn't look convinced, but he put his arm around her waist and squeezed her closer for a moment. "Well, at least I'll have you there to help me," he said with a small grin. "My fiancée and soon-to-be wife."

"Very soon," she agreed, leaning into him.

When she finally got the chance to congratulate her best friend, the blonde hugged her tightly. "It was wonderful, wasn't it?" she asked, her blue eyes shining. "Did you see how handsome Cohvu looked? And didn't you just love his vows? I swear, I would have cried even if I hadn't been pregnant!"

"It was a beautiful wedding, Glin," Fiyero assured her as he came up to hug her as well. "You weren't the only one who cried. Even I had tears in my eyes. Oz, I had to hand Fae five paper tissues while you exchanged vows!"

Elphaba stomped his arm at that and when she saw the amused look on Galinda's face, she muttered, "Hormones, that's all."

Galinda giggled again. "I wonder how much you'll cry when it's your turn in a few hours!" she sang and Elphaba forced a smile as she nodded.

She was excited to get married. She really was. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Fiyero, to give the twins a father, to marry him and have him by her side. She was just… nervous. Not just about the ceremony (because what if she forgot her vows, or tripped on her dress, or did something else to embarrass herself in front of all their friends and family members? Or what if she came out and Fiyero hadn't shown up?), but also about what came afterwards. What if she wouldn't be a good wife? She hardly had any experience with relationships. Wasn't it too soon for marriage? What if she messed up and Fiyero left her? The twins would be devastated if he left again – they might never get over it. And then there was the unborn baby to think about…

So yes, she was excited, but she was very quiet as the guests all left the park and filed into cars to take them either home or to the city hall, where Elphaba and Fiyero's wedding would be. Galinda had complained about the normalcy of that, but Elphaba had reminded her that it was her wedding and she'd get married wherever she wanted. There would only be a handful of people there and she didn't need a fancy venue. The reception would be fancy enough already.

Fiyero squeezed her hand. "Are you okay? You're quiet. It's not like you to be quiet."

She chuckled weakly. "I'm fine." When she saw the look on his face, she forced herself to smile. "I'm a little nervous," she confessed. "I'll be fine." She kissed him. "Go. I'll meet you at the city hall."

He nodded and turned to find Cohvu. He looked back over his shoulder at her a few times, but she waved him away with an exasperated gesture, smirking a little despite herself. She wondered if that overprotective streak he had was the bodyguard in him.

They wouldn't see one another again until the ceremony; she, Galinda, the twins, and Nessa were going back to the Palace to get changed first, while Cohvu and Fiyero would change suits at the city hall. She took a deep breath, but she didn't feel better. In fact, the butterflies in her stomach were making her nauseous now (or maybe that was the baby) and her hands were shaking.

Galinda took one look at her friend as they were being driven back to the Palace and shook her head. "Elphie, breathe," she instructed sternly. "It's a wedding, not an execution. You look like I used to look right before taking an exam I hadn't studied for at Shiz."

"Can't I have the exam instead of the wedding?" Elphaba asked desperately and the blonde giggled.

"He loves you," she said simply. "And you love him. This is the best day of your life, Elphie. Enjoy it. You'll be Mrs Tiggular soon. It'll take some getting used to, calling you Deputy Mayor Tiggular instead of Thropp."

The green woman's eyes had widened. "Oh, Oz," she breathed and Galinda giggled again.

"Relax," she urged Elphaba. "I can't wait to see you in your dress. I bet Fiyero is going to cry when you walk down the aisle!"

Instead of the frilly pink dress she'd been wearing to Galinda's wedding, for her mother's ceremony Fawn got to wear a dark red one, which she loved. Elphaba's only bridesmaid was Nessa, with Galinda as her maid (matron, now) of honour; so they changed into simple, but pretty, red dresses as well and then quickly went to Elphaba's rooms to help her into her wedding dress. It was a mermaid model in an ivory colour, with a single strap over her left shoulder and a skirt that widened from the knees down. Galinda did her friend's hair, curling it and arranging it so the curls fell down her bare shoulder, and then secured it with a silver hair clasp with rhinestones. She wore some relatively simple jewellery and low heels and Galinda stepped back to proclaim the young witch 'simply perfect'.

"What if he changes his mind?" Elphaba whispered to Galinda and Nessa when the twins were talking in a corner of the room together. "What if he leaves again? Or he doesn't turn up at all?"

"Elphie, don't," Galinda said firmly. "You'll be fine. Both of you."

Elphaba just sighed.

In the meantime, Fiyero was putting on his own suit and he was no less nervous than Elphaba.

"But what if the twins will hate me after a while?" he demanded of Oscar as they were both waiting for Cohvu to get changed. "What if I'm a horrible father – to them or to the new baby… or both?"

Oscar sighed heavily. "You're as bad as she is," he muttered. "You proposed, as you'll remember."

"Of course I remember," Fiyero snapped. "I just wonder if it was the right thing to do. I don't want any of them to be stuck with me if they don't want to."

"Listen to me." Oscar took another step in the younger man's direction and pointed a menacing finger at him. "If you back out on my daughter again, supposedly 'for her own good', I'm going to skin you alive and I mean that." Ignoring the way Fiyero blanched at that, he continued. "You didn't see her while you were gone. Or the twins. They missed you and even though I know Elphaba told you that, I also know she'll never tell you the exact extent to which she missed you, but let me tell you that it was a lot. She was miserable without you and I'm glad you're back, Fiyero, and if she forgives you for leaving, then so do I; but you're not doing this to her again. Be insecure. That's fine. We all are, about certain things – Elphaba probably more than anyone. Just don't let it hold you back and don't ever allow it to make you doubt that my daughter loves you, because trust me – she does. Is that clear?"

Fiyero, completely dumbstruck by that, could only nod; and Oscar nodded, too, satisfied.

"Good."

That didn't mean Fiyero didn't still have doubts. They weren't doubts about his feelings for Elphaba, however, just about her feelings for him; and he tried to reassure himself with the thought that if she didn't love him and if she wasn't absolutely sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, she wouldn't have agreed to marry him. She wouldn't be here today.

Then, of course, he started panicking all over again, because what if she _wasn't_ here today? When he expressed that thought to Cohvu, however, the blond man just rolled his eyes.

"I suppose you won't find out until you get your arse down to that room and wait for her to come down the aisle," he said, as if that decided the matter, and he pulled Fiyero with him.

They took their positions, Fiyero at the altar with Cohvu beside him as his best man, and the guests all took their seats in the small room. The music started to play. Fawn and Xalo came out, both of them beaming, each carrying one of the rings. They were followed by Nessa in her chair and then Galinda, looking almost as radiant as she had at her own wedding ceremony a few hours before. The music continued to play and Fiyero looked at the door expectantly, waiting for Elphaba to appear.

She didn't.

The music continued. Galinda exchanged a worried look with Nessa and the officiant seemed puzzled. Everyone was watching the door now and a sick feeling settled in the pit of Fiyero's stomach as he realised what this meant. She wasn't coming. Elphaba didn't want to marry him after all.

"Don't," Galinda said quietly beside him. "I can tell what you're doing from the look on your face. Don't. I'll go see what's wrong now and you're going to stay here and _not panic_. Got that?"

He nodded numbly and watched as Galinda made her way over to the door and slipped through.

On the other side, the blonde found Oscar trying to calm a clearly agitated, pacing Elphaba.

"Elphie!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing? We're all waiting for you!"

The dark-haired witch looked up with a strange glint in her dark brown eyes. "Is he there?" she asked intently, almost seeming to hold her breath for the answer.

"Of course he's there! He's probably just about pissing himself now with nervousness because he's waiting and you're not showing up!"

Elphaba, however, seemed to sag with relief at that first statement and suddenly, Galinda understood. "You really thought he wouldn't be there?"

"I was afraid he wouldn't be," Elphaba admitted hoarsely. "After everything… He seemed so nervous earlier today. I just…" She buried her face in her hands. "I couldn't bear it if I walked into that room, all done up and ready to get married, right in front of everyone we know, and he wouldn't be there."

Galinda sighed. "Oh, Elphie… He promised, didn't he? You both need to stop doubting yourselves and the other. You made promises. He proposed. You wouldn't be getting married if both of you weren't sure you loved the other!" She pulled Elphaba up straight and pushed the bouquet into her hands. "Take that. Now take your father's arm and let him escort you to that altar. I need to go back inside to let Fiyero know he can start breathing again."

It seemed so cliché, but it was true: when the doors opened and Elphaba did come out, tightly clutching Oscar's arm with one hand and her bouquet with the other, it was as if her nerves just disappeared. Because there he was, standing at the end of the aisle, the relief evident in his face and soon replaced by awe and love and some other things she couldn't identify because there were suddenly tears in her eyes, making it hard for her to see. Hormones. What she did see, however, upon coming closer, was that he was crying, too. She made a mental note to tease him about that later. She had the excuse of hormones, but he didn't.

She kissed her father's cheek and pulled away from him with a grateful smile in his direction. He winked, took her hand, and laid it in Fiyero's before stepping back. A father giving away his daughter on her wedding day. She couldn't help but smirk a little when she saw how misty-eyed Oscar appeared.

"You okay?" Fiyero murmured to her and she nodded.

"Nerves," she admitted quietly. "But you're here."

He squeezed her hand, understanding what she meant.

The officiant smiled. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness this union between Fiyero Jorge Tiggular and Elphaba Melena Thropp. However, there are some others involved in this union as well." He looked at the twins. "Fawn and Xalo, would you step forward?"

They did, looking just as puzzled as Elphaba felt. Fiyero, however, just smiled mysteriously at her and then let go of her hand, instead crouching down to be on the same level as the twins.

"You know I love your mum and I love the both of you as well," he began, "and of course she said yes to my proposal; but if we get married, I'm going to be your father as well. I thought it would only be fair to give you a choice in that."

The twins shared a confused look.

Fiyero cleared his throat. "Fawn Melena Thropp," he said, taking one of her hands in his. She let out a little gasp when she understood where he was going with this and he grinned at her, but Elphaba could tell he was nervous. He looked at Xalo then and took one of the boy's hands, too. "And Xalo Oscar Thropp." Xalo grinned at him excitedly and Fiyero took a deep breath. "Do you two accept me as your father, and do you agree to be my son and daughter for life?"

Xalo was bouncing a little, saying eagerly, "Yes!". Fawn was crying so hard she could hardly reply, but she nodded, and a sigh went through the guests as she flung her arms around Fiyero's neck and hugged him tightly. Elphaba gratefully accepted a handkerchief Galinda offered her, because the tears were properly streaming down her face now – still all due to hormones, of course.

Fiyero hugged both kids very tightly for a while and when he let go, Fawn and Xalo hugged each other, stepping back a little. Fiyero straightened, smiling widely, and turned back to the marriage officiant; but before the man could speak a word, Elphaba had taken Fiyero's face between her hands and was kissing him urgently. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back, smiling when he pulled away, and he cupped her cheek.

"You're amazing," she choked out between her crying and he chuckled, wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

"So are you," he murmured. "All three of you." He placed a hand over her still-flat abdomen. "Four, I mean. Let's not forget Mini-Fae."

She laughed, despite her tears.

The marriage officiant tapped Fiyero on the shoulder. "I am very sorry, Fiyero, Elphaba, but we haven't gotten to that part of the ceremony yet," he said apologetically, although his smile was slightly amused.

Elphaba took a deep, shuddering breath. "You know what? Forget the vows," she decided, causing a ripple of excitement among the people present. She, however, ignored them and looked at Fiyero. "We've talked about everything already. We made our promises, we apologised, we said we loved one another, and today we're both here. I think that says enough, so," she turned to the officiant, "whatever you're going to ask me, the answer is 'I do'."

Fiyero's smile had widened. "I do, too," he said, cupping her face again with both hands this time. "I love you, Fae."

"And I love you, Yero my hero," she whispered, resting her forehead against his.

The officiant seemed slightly startled by this development, but he nodded. "All right, then," he said cheerfully. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Fiyero did kiss the bride, ignoring the way the guests clapped and cheered, the way Galinda, Nessa, and Fawn were all going, "Aww!" even as they all cried, and he also ignored Xalo's muttered, "Gross". It was an unconventional wedding, certainly, but he and Elphaba were an unconventional couple. Their relationship hadn't been easy for many reasons, but she was right. The fact that they were both here today proved enough. One way or another, they would make it.

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 **I'll be posting this as a three-shot, but it might feel more like a few separate scenes than an actual story, because it was intended to be a full-blown sequel; however, if I do return to posting more fanfics, I'd rather start different ones and I wasn't really inspired for a full sequel story, anyway. That means two more chapters coming later this week.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	2. Monster

**Thanks so much for the reviews! :) Including the twins in the ceremony was actually inspired by a video I was tagged in a long time ago (I think it was you, Nia), where the groom asked his almost-wife's daughter if she wanted to be his daughter, too, and I thought it was sweet.**

 **Also, whoops, I thought I'd uploaded this already, but only in my Doc Manager... sorry! Here's the second part!**

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 **2\. Monster**

"Dad!" Xalo yelled from down the hallway. "Auntie Nessa is here!"

Fiyero wondered if it was stupid that the word 'dad' still never failed to bring a wide grin to his face. It probably was, and his old friends would definitely say that he'd turned into a wuss since the time he first came to the Emerald City a year ago. Strangely enough, though, he didn't care. In fact, he pitied every man who had never had anyone call him 'dad'.

"Coming!" he called. He quickly finished typing something and then closed his laptop and headed into the hallway. When he reached the lifts, it was to find Nessa sitting there in her chair, talking to the twins.

"Nessa," he greeted the wheelchair-bound girl, bending down to kiss her on the cheek. "It's wonderful to have you here. How are you?"

"Good," she said, smiling.

Fawn giggled. "And how is Uncle Boq?"

Nessa flushed a little. "He's good, too."

More giggling followed and Fiyero cleared his throat. "Why don't you guys go find your mum to tell her Auntie Nessa is here?"

"Okay," Xalo agreed and the two ran off.

"Thank you," said Nessa, but Fiyero just grinned at her.

"So how _are_ you and Boq?" he asked and she glared at him.

"Why don't we talk about you and Fabala instead?" she suggested sweetly.

Fiyero grimaced. "Speaking of Fae, there are a few things you should know before you see her."

Nessa frowned, confused, as Fiyero started ticking off things on his fingers.

"Do not, under any circumstances, mention anything about how big she is," he warned. "Don't antagonise her. Whatever she says, just nod and smile and agree with her. Ask permission before touching her stomach. When she tears up, pretend not to notice. When she starts crying in earnest, just hug her and tell her it's all going to be okay. Don't laugh at the strange things she puts in her mouth or the fact that she gets up three times an hour to use the bathroom and do not joke about the pregnancy – any part of it. Not about her having twins, or her size, or when the babies will be born. Got that?"

Nessa just laughed. "Fiyero, I've known my sister for a while already," she pointed out drily. "I'm familiar with her temper."

"Not right now, you're not," he said wearily. "Trust me. I saw Galinda's happy pregnancy glow at her wedding and I, very naïvely, assumed that was how women feel during pregnancies. I thought Cohvu was just trying to scare me with all the stories about his wife. I was wrong. It's even worse than his stories were."

Now Nessa was grinning widely. "Men are idiots. Just take me to her already."

"Nessa!" Oscar called, appearing down the hallway and making his way over to them. He kissed the girl's cheeks. "The twins told me you're here. It is good to see you. How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied, smiling. "How are you all?"

"Wonderful." He winked at her. "Except for Fiyero here, who is freaking out; and Elphaba, whom I caught searching through spell books for a way to either alleviate her pregnancy symptoms or make the baby come out already, the other day."

"She didn't!"

"She didn't find any spells," Oscar admitted with a chuckle. "She's more than ready to get the baby out, though."

"I can imagine," Nessa said sympathetically.

Oscar smiled. "I'll see you later, all right? I have to finish up some things, but Fiyero can take you to see your sister. It's good to have you here – she'll love having you around."

He left, and Nessa took a good look at Fiyero, who didn't appear to have heard any part of the conversation and was staring off into space with an unhappy look on his face.

"You're scared, aren't you?" she asked knowingly. For all her amusement about his warnings regarding her sister, she could see he truly was agitated.

He bit his lip, then admitted, "Terrified." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I feel like I can't help her at all and I never manage to get her what she needs," he confessed. "And if I can't even take care of my pregnant wife properly, then how can I ever be a good father? The baby isn't even born yet and it's already making me feel like a failure!"

She placed a hand on his arm. "Fiyero," she said gently. "All first-time parents feel that way, I'm sure, but you're doing the best you can. Fabala knows that, too. Has _she_ ever told you that you're failing at taking care of her?"

He shook his head. "No. But –"

"There is no 'but'." Nessa looked up at him. "Just think of it this way: the last time she was pregnant, the father didn't even know it, wasn't present for any part of the pregnancy, birth, or childhood, and later turned out to be an evil maniac who tried to murder her and steal her children. I highly doubt there is anything you can do that would make you a worse man, husband, or father, than him."

Fiyero scowled at her. "That is not funny, Nessa."

She smirked at him. "I'm serious. Sort of," she amended. "Just relax. She did it before, all by herself, working hard throughout her pregnancy and with no idea of what the future might bring. She may appear fragile and emotional now, but she's stronger than you think. Ignore the hormones. You're doing great. Will you take me to her now?"

He sighed and nodded. "I will. Thanks, Nessa."

"Not a problem."

"Although," he said as he pushed her chair down the hallway, "she's been working throughout _this_ pregnancy as well. She still is. I told her to slow down a few times and she either laughs at me or gets angry with me."

Nessa chuckled. "That sounds like her. What does her doctor say?"

"He said she's fine as long as she doesn't strain herself," he said unhappily. "But how do I know if she's straining herself?"

"She can take care of herself, Fiyero." Nessa shook her head. "You really are nervous, aren't you? Are you that afraid of letting her down?"

He sighed. "Her, the twins, the baby… I just don't want her to feel like I regret any of this, you know?"

Nessa made a face. "You two are horrendible. How long is it going to take you to get over those insecurities?"

He shrugged. "Forever?" he said, pushing her into Elphaba's office.

The green woman was sitting at her desk with her laptop open in front of her, but she wasn't looking at it, talking to the twins instead. All three looked up when Fiyero and Nessa entered and Elphaba said something to the twins, probably sending them off to play, because they ran out of the room to give their mother some time alone to talk to her sister.

Nessa gasped when she saw her sister. "Oh, Fabala! Your stomach has grown so much since I last saw you!"

Fiyero cringed and Nessa, noticing, quickly added, "I don't mean you're fat, or anything like that! You look beautiful!"

Elphaba narrowed her eyes. "Has Fiyero been talking to you?"

"Would I do that?" Fiyero spluttered.

"He seems to think I've become some kind of monster," Elphaba said to her sister. "It's almost cute, really. And annoying. I don't explode over _everything_."

"You magically slammed me into a wall last week because I tried to get you to stop working so much!"

Nessa stared at her sister. "You did?"

Elphaba was looking sheepish now. "I did. I apologised, didn't I?" she said defensively to Fiyero, who held up both hands in self-proclaimed innocence.

"You did, but it still hurt," he pointed out. "So yes, I'm a little afraid of you."

Nessa wheeled her chair over to where her sister was sitting and awkwardly hugged her from the side. "Don't worry. Hormones are normal and I suppose they just don't mix too well with magic. How are you feeling?"

"As expected, I suppose," said Elphaba with a sigh. "Emotional, sore, and a little nervous. Of course I've done it before, with two babies, even, but it's still nerve-wrecking, you know?"

"Of course it is," Nessa said comfortingly. "You've had practice, though, and you have Fiyero, and Oscar, and me. And Cohvu and Galinda, of course! How are they doing with little Jaspen?"

"Very good," said Elphaba, smiling at the thought of her godson. "He's a very cute baby. Cohvu and Galinda dote on him. He has cramps sometimes, though, so they spend many a night walking circles around the nursery, but that's part of parenthood as well. They'll love to see you. We should go visit them tomorrow."

"Or maybe they could come here," Fiyero suggested. "You should take it easy, you know."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes at him and he quickly backed down. "Fine! Pretend you're not pregnant and by all means, go on doing the things you always do!"

"Was that sarcasm?" she demanded.

"Yes," he said. "It's my baby, too, you know. My _first_ baby. I want it to be safe and healthy and so yes, I'm afraid of you straining yourself too much."

Her eyes narrowed further. "Are you suggesting I would do anything that could be bad for the baby?"

"He's not calling you a bad mother, Fabala," Nessa soothed her sister. "He's just worried. You can't blame him for that."

"Never mind, Nessa," said Fiyero, turning towards the door. "She's right. She's done this before and I know she wouldn't endanger the baby in any way, so I'll just have to trust her. I'm sorry I brought it up, Fae. Let's go visit Galinda and Cohvu tomorrow. I'll give them a call right away." With that, he left.

Nessa glanced sideways at her sister, who was staring at the door. "Feeling guilty now?"

"Yes," Elphaba said with a sigh. She smiled ruefully. "He's trying so hard, but he's right. I am a bit of a monster these days."

"You made it together so far," Nessa said matter-of-factly. "You'll survive this, too."

Elphaba looked at the younger girl. "Why is it that everyone seems to have more faith in this relationship than Fiyero and I ourselves?" she asked.

Nessa smiled. "Because you're both so in love with the other that you're constantly terrified of losing that. It's only natural."

"I suppose." Elphaba rubbed her stomach and pushed herself to her feet. "Sorry. Bathroom time."

Nessa giggled. "Take your time."

When Elphaba returned, it was with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Fiyero's birthday is coming up in a few days," she said. "We didn't celebrate it last year, because… well, because he hardly knew anyone around here and I kind of hated him…" She grimaced. "But I want to do something for him this year. If only to make up for being such a horrible, hormonal wife these past couple of months."

"He forgave you for that long before you asked for it, Fabala," said Nessa, smiling.

Elphaba made a face. "I know. That only makes me feel worse."

"Maybe you could give birth on his birthday," Nessa suggested with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "That's bound to be his best present ever."

Her sister just rolled her eyes. "Thank you so much for that idea. I'll just tell the baby when to arrive, shall I?" She snorted. "Besides, him sitting beside me while I sweat, cry, and scream isn't exactly my idea of doing something fun for his birthday." She glanced at her sister. "The twins and I had an idea, though."

"Nothing too crazy, I hope," Nessa warned. "He's right, you know. You do need to take it easy. I hope you're not thinking about planning a party, or something like that –"

"Do I _look_ like Galinda to you?" Elphaba demanded. "I hate parties!"

Nessa bit back a smile. "I remember."

"No, it's something else." Elphaba chewed her lip, then confessed her idea to Nessa.

The younger girl was thrilled. "Fabala, that is absolutely perfect," she declared. "He'll be so happy!"

"Will he? Are you sure? Because the twins would love it, but I don't want to dump that kind of obligation on him…" She trailed off when she saw the look Nessa was giving her. "Yes, I know, I'm being insecure again, but don't you see my point?"

"You're married," Nessa pointed out patiently. "He's already tied to you and the twins. He'll be happy. You know that, too. Honestly, what is _wrong_ with you two?"

Elphaba averted her gaze. She knew she was being silly, but it didn't _feel_ silly. She'd never been an easy person to be around, she'd always known that, but lately she felt like she'd been turning into a complete nightmare and she couldn't even stop it. She just… snapped, all the time, for no reason. Mostly at him, when he was the one who least deserved it. She just felt like a terrible person, a terrible mother, and a terrible wife.

Fawn and Xalo chose that moment to return to the room and Nessa, smiling at the sight of her niece and nephew, squeezed Elphaba's arm. "I'll go play with the twins for a while," she told her sister. "You go and get some rest, because you look very sleep-deprived, and think about what I said, okay?"

"Okay," Elphaba agreed quietly. She hesitated for a moment, then held out a hand towards the twins. "Listen," she said as Fawn took her hand and Xalo sat down at her feet, looking up at her expectantly. "I'm sorry if I haven't been very nice to you lately."

"That's okay, Mum," Xalo chirped. "That's just hormones. Dad says so."

She chuckled weakly. "It is, but it's still not fair and I am sorry. You've both been doing wonderfully and I am so proud of you." She stroked Xalo's hair and reached out to touch her daughter's cheek. "Both of you. If anything is wrong, you know you can still always come to me, don't you?"

"Of course," said Fawn. "But we can go to Dad, too. He always helps."

Elphaba smiled. "Do you guys remember that plan we came up with for his birthday?"

Fawn's eyes lit up and Xalo sucked in a breath. "Yes."

"Well," their mother exchanged a look with Nessa, "we were thinking we should do that."

"Yes!" Xalo shouted, jumping up and bouncing around the room. Fawn hugged her mother as tightly as she could with the big stomach in the way.

"I'll take care of everything," Elphaba promised.

Nessa cleared her throat pointedly and her sister rolled her eyes. "All right, fine, I'll have Auntie Nessa and Grandpa take care of everything," she amended, sticking out her tongue at the girl in the wheelchair.

Nessa smirked at her and then beckoned the kids. "Come on, you two. Fabala, you sleep," she instructed. "I'll talk to Oscar about the necessary arrangements."

"Yes, Mum," Elphaba said obediently and now it was Nessa's turn to stick out her tongue.

* * *

 **Final chapter will probaby be up after this weekend!**


	3. Birthday

**All right, here's the final one!**

* * *

 **3\. Birthday**

On his twenty-ninth birthday, Fiyero awoke to a soft knock on the door. He blinked, yawned, stretched, and then smiled when he looked down at his pregnant wife, sleeping peacefully beside him with her head pillowed on his chest. When he gingerly moved, trying to get out of the bed without waking her, she mumbled something and stirred as well. Her eyes opened a little and she gave him a sleepy smile. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, hon," he murmured, kissing her temple. "Go back to sleep. You need it."

Just then, however, the door opened and a voice whispered quite loudly, "Dad?"

Elphaba smirked slightly as she twisted a little and attempted to push herself up. "I'm afraid I won't be getting much more sleep now, but that's okay."

He helped her sit up, since that had become quite hard for her these days, just as the twins came in. Xalo launched himself onto the bed and into Fiyero's arms; Fawn approached a little more calmly. "Happy birthday," they chirped in unison.

Fiyero laughed. "Thank you."

"We've got a present," Xalo said proudly. "It's downstairs, though. Will you come with us?"

"We'll do presents later, sweetie, when Auntie Galinda and Uncle Cohvu get here," Elphaba cut in, giving her son a look. "Why don't you two get dressed first and we'll have breakfast together?"

"Okay." He nodded earnestly and crawled off the bed. Fawn exchanged a look with her mother and, suppressing a wide smile, the little girl followed her brother.

He chuckled. "I'd almost think they're the ones getting presents, rather than me, from the way they're acting."

Elphaba just smiled mysteriously. "Yes, well, they're very excited about what they got you."

He raised his eyebrows questioningly, but she just leaned over and kissed him. He kissed her back, tucking her into his side, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for being such a witch lately," she said quietly. "I know you're trying your best and I know this scares you as much as it scares me, or perhaps even more. I just want you to know I appreciate it, even if I don't always show it, and that you _are_ helping. You've been wonderful throughout all of this."

He looked at her knowingly. "Has Nessa talked to you?"

She flushed a little. "Maybe," she admitted. "I'm glad she did, though. I didn't know you felt that way. Or, well, I didn't pay attention, I suppose…"

"Hey," he cut her off before she could start feeling guilty. "You've had other things to worry about, don't you think?" He caressed her stomach and she reached up to cover his hand with her own. He rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Fae. Yes, you've been hormonal lately, but that's only normal. I just wish there was more I could do to help you."

She kissed him again. "Yero my hero. I love you, too."

"I should hope so." He smiled when he felt the baby kick underneath his hand. "Hey, Mini-Fae. How are you?"

Elphaba heaved a tired sigh. "Yero…"

"I still think 'Fae' would be nice for a girl," he said stubbornly and she laughed. He'd been calling the baby 'Mini-Fae' ever since Elphaba's echo had come out inconclusive regarding the baby's gender and she had confessed to him that she had a feeling it was going to be a girl. She always pretended to be annoyed when he did that, but she secretly though it was sweet.

"There's something you could do to help me right now, by the way," she said and he smiled, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Anything."

She held out her arms. "Help me up? I can't get out of bed and I need to pee."

He laughed and complied.

They got dressed and had breakfast with the twins and Oscar, and then Fiyero was dragged off by the twins to play video games with them. By lunchtime, Galinda and Cohvu arrived with Jaspen, wishing Fiyero a happy birthday as well.

"Thanks, guys," he said happily, kissing Galinda's cheek and making a face at baby Jaspen. "I'm glad you could come. A big party is out of the question, of course, what with Fae about to give birth, but it's nice to have a bit of a celebration nonetheless."

"Auntie Galinda?" Fawn asked shyly. "Can I hold Jaspen?"

"Of course you can, darling!" Galinda exclaimed, leaning down to carefully place her son in her goddaughter's arms. Fawn smiled widely and Xalo came over to have a look, touching Jaspen's head.

"He's so tiny," he said.

"He's already a lot bigger than he was before," Cohvu told them. "Give it another year or two and you'll all be able to play together."

"Do you think we'll have a brother?" Xalo asked him. "Or a sister?"

Cohvu and Fiyero both laughed and Galinda smiled. "Are you hoping for a brother?"

Xalo thought about that. "I don't know. I think a brother would be fun," he admitted. "And I already have a sister. But Jaspen is a bit like my brother, too, so maybe a girl would be nice. Then I'd have a big sister, a little sister, _and_ a little brother. All I'd be missing is a big brother!"

Galinda giggled and Fiyero said, amused, "Don't hold your breath for one of those, buddy."

It was just after lunch, however, that he got the biggest surprise of the day. The twins, after sharing a look with their mother, rose to their feet and Xalo said solemnly, "Ahem."

"We'd like to give you our present now," Fawn added, both of them looking at Fiyero.

He chuckled. "Bring it on," he said and they exchanged another look before producing an envelope. Together, they handed it to him and then stood beside him as he opened it, waiting.

Fiyero pulled out a couple of papers that appeared to be official forms for something and, for a moment, he frowned in confusion; but then he read a few words on the papers and he could only stare, speechless.

"They're adoption papers," Fawn said helpfully. "For us."

"So you can officially be our dad now," added Xalo, "instead of only our stepdad. Mum already signed them, see? We wanted to sign them, too, but the man who gave them for us said we were too young. We made a certificate, though." He proudly pointed at one of the other papers in Fiyero's hand. "Or, well, Grandpa made it, on the computer, but Fawn and I signed it. You can hang it in your office, if you want."

"But only if you want to," Fawn took over again, her emerald green eyes slightly anxious. "Hang it in your office, I mean. And sign them. You don't have to, if you don't want to. We just thought it'd be – I'm sorry, Dad, we didn't mean to make you cry…"

Fiyero pulled her to him with one arm and Xalo with the other, hugging them both tightly and pressing kisses to their heads. "I'd love to be your dad, officially," he choked out, smiling widely as he kissed them again. "Thank you so much, guys. This is the best birthday present I've ever had."

Their faces brightened and they hugged him back.

When Fiyero managed to pull himself together, he found Elphaba smiling softly at him with tears shining in her eyes – hormones, no doubt, although he was fairly certain she'd be crying even if she wasn't pregnant – and he got to his feet to kiss her, too. "Your idea?" he whispered.

She nodded. "I talked it over with them and explained what it meant," she said. "They instantly loved the idea."

He turned and moved back to the table, glancing at the papers. "Does anyone have a pen?"

Oscar, just as misty-eyed as everyone else present, produced one from the pocket of his jacket; and with a flourish, Fiyero signed his name on the forms and then on the twins' certificate, picking it up and smiling. "I am definitely hanging this in my office," he declared before swooping them both up in his arms again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Dad," said Xalo, grinning widely, and Fawn gave him a kiss on his cheek, but then pulled back, frowning.

"What's wrong, princess?" Fiyero asked her and she shook her head, rubbing her mouth.

"You need to shave," she said seriously. "You're all prickly."

He just burst out laughing and gave her another tight hug.

* * *

Elphaba went into labour ("Finally!" she exclaimed in relief the moment she realised what was going on, which wasn't exactly how Fiyero felt about it, but he decided not to argue with her) a couple of days after that. She was surprisingly calm about it and it went quite fast; Fiyero had braced himself for hours and hours of Elphaba screaming and crying, being in pain, and yelling at him for doing this to her, but she only cried out a few times and she didn't even get mad at him. He sat beside her all throughout it, holding her hand. At some point, just after a contraction, she tiredly leaned her head against his arm and said, "I'm glad you're here with me, Yero."

His heart sang at that, but he only brought their joint hands up to his mouth and kissed the back of hers. "So am I, hon."

"Just a few more pushes," the midwife announced cheerfully and on the next contraction, Elphaba pushed again.

After about five or six hours of labour, a thin wail filled the room and Elphaba smiled, closing her eyes for a moment as she sank back into the pillows, exhausted. She opened her eyes again when the midwife held the baby up for her to see.

"A girl," she said proudly. "Congratulations, Mum and Dad."

Elphaba laughed softly and held out her arms to hold her daughter. Fiyero could only watch in utter awe, the fact that he had a _daughter_ , an actual, biological daughter, slowly getting through to him.

"She's perfect," Elphaba whispered, taking a long breath and slowly letting it out again. She looked up at Fiyero with shining eyes. "We did it."

"We did?" he asked dazedly and she chuckled weakly. The midwife took the baby away to quickly clean her and look her over, but soon she returned to place Fiyero's daughter in his arms. He stared down at her face, pink and pinched with the effort of crying, but she was calming down now. Her eyes were still that shady blue all new-borns' eyes were and she already had quite a bit of hair sticking to her head, although it was hard to determine the colour of that, too.

"You know how people always say that babies look just like their mum or dad, right after they are born?" Elphaba muttered, tiredly but happily watching her husband with their daughter.

"Yes," Fiyero whispered, still completely dumbstruck.

"That's absolute rubbish," Elphaba said with a soft snort. "Babies don't look like their parents when they're just born. They look like pink, wrinkled little prunes. Be honest – look at her. You can't even tell her eye or hair colour yet, so how in Oz could she have your nose or my ears?"

Fiyero couldn't help but chuckle at that. "You're a killjoy, Fae." He studied his daughter and admitted, "All right, fine, you're right. She's beautiful, though."

"She is," Elphaba agreed softly, smiling again. "And can I just say I'm happy she's –"

"Not green?" Fiyero finished for her, raising his eyebrows. "Fine. You can say it. Just this once. It wouldn't have mattered, though."

Elphaba shrugged. "Maybe not, but it will be easier for her this way." She yawned and Fiyero shifted the baby to one arm so he could use his other hand to cup Elphaba's face.

"Go to sleep," he told her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I'll put her in the bassinet right here and go tell everyone the happy news."

She shook her head stubbornly. "No, I can sleep later. I want to see the twins, and Dad."

"Quickly, then," the midwife warned her. "You do need your rest and so does your daughter."

Fiyero gently handed the baby back to Elphaba and then left the room and went down the hallway, peering into the living room. He chuckled when he saw everyone sitting together and then went in, announcing brightly, "I think Fawn and Xalo have first dibs on holding their little sister, don't you?"

Nessa sucked in a breath. "It's a girl!"

"We have a sister?" Xalo demanded, leaping to his feet and running over to Fiyero, Fawn not far behind him, and threw their arms around his waist. When they stepped back, they both looked up at their father expectantly and when he nodded, smiling, Xalo declared, "That is so cool."

Fiyero smiled, ushering the twins out of the room. "Come on, you. Your mum wants to see you. And you guys, too," he called to Oscar and Nessa, who quickly came along.

After hugs all around, Fiyero guided Fawn to sit on the chair in the corner and gently placed the baby in her arms. Xalo, of course, instantly came to stand by his twin sister, holding his breath. "She's so tiny! What would happen if Fawn accidentally dropped her?"

Fiyero, alarmed, quickly said, "Let's not find out, okay?"

Fawn giggled and when he looked back at Elphaba, he saw that she was amused as well, but there was a soft look in her eyes as she regarded her two daughters together.

"Don't worry, Dad, I won't drop her," said Fawn, carefully rocking the baby back and forth. "Hi, baby. I'm your big sister."

"And I'm your big brother," Xalo announced. "We're going to have a lot of fun. Does she have a name yet, Mum?"

Elphaba made a face at Fiyero, who wrinkled his nose in return. They'd been debating names for months, but they just couldn't seem to come up with anything fitting. "No, sweetie," Elphaba replied. "Not yet."

"We can think of names!" Xalo said enthusiastically and instantly started summing up all the female names he had ever heard in his life.

Fawn was looking down at the baby a bit wistfully and Fiyero, noticing, crouched down beside her. "What's wrong, princess?"

She shook it off, smiling. "Nothing."

She reminded him so much of her mother at that moment that he just knew she was lying. He knew that look on her face. Elphaba always brushed him off, too, but he could tell when something was bothering her and he could tell now that something was bothering Fawn.

While the baby was passed off to Oscar and then Nessa, Fiyero took the little green girl aside. "Now spit it out," he commanded. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," she protested, but he just kept looking at her until she caved. "Well… The baby's a girl, like me," she explained, not looking at him. She stared at the floor instead, shuffling her feet. "And she's not green. And… and she's your _real_ daughter."

Now he understood, and his heart broke. "Oh, Fawn," he murmured, crouching again to be at her level and then pulling her into his arms. "You're my real daughter, too – I signed those papers, didn't I? Nothing has ever made me happier than that. Except perhaps for marrying your mum," he amended, which made her chuckle a little.

"And having a new baby?" she asked in a small voice and he nodded, pulling away to look into her eyes.

"That makes me very happy, too," he said seriously, "but that doesn't mean I love her more than I love you, or Xalo. We're a family now. Just because I am not your biological father, or even just because I wasn't there the first eight years of your lives, doesn't mean I love you any less or you are any less part of this family, do you understand? The fact that you are green has nothing to do with that, either – your mum is green and I fell in love with her, didn't I?"

She nodded hesitantly and he smiled at her.

"If anything, the green makes you even more special. Like a little emerald," he teased and succeeded in making her smile this time. He straightened and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Even if you end up having a hundred more little sisters in all colours of the rainbow," he promised, "you are my princess and you always will be. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, giggling a little. "Do you think Mum wants a hundred more babies?"

He grinned at her. "I think your mum is just happy she got this one out for now."

"Do _you_ want a hundred more babies?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't mind more kids," he said, "but I don't need them. I think our family is perfect the way it is right now, don't you?"

She nodded, looking over at Xalo, who was holding the baby now and looking decidedly uncomfortable about it. Nessa was trying to show him how to properly support her head and Oscar was just laughing, ruffling his grandson's hair and teasing him.

"Yeah," said Fawn. "I think so, too."

Fiyero ran a hand over her head and she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him. "I love you, Dad."

"And I love you, little emerald." He kissed the top of her head again and watched with a smile as she darted back to her siblings, looking much happier now. He hoped he had managed to convince her, but he'd keep an eye on her nonetheless. Knowing Elphaba, he knew which signs to look for in her children now; and he just wanted his entire family to be happy, no matter what.

* * *

"Are you _really_ sure…?" Fiyero began later that night, when he and Elphaba were in bed together; but he was cut off by his wife.

"One hundred percent, Fiyero," she said tiredly. "We're not calling her 'Fae'. Have you even thought of how confusing that would be? Every time you called the name, we'd both come running."

He chuckled. "Well, I do like having both my daughter and my wife around," he said, smiling, and she rolled her eyes at his cheesiness.

He didn't give up, though. "Can we at least make 'Fae' her middle name? Unless you want to name her after someone, of course."

She paused thoughtfully. "I'm… not sure. I've thought about naming her after someone, but I don't really know who," she admitted. "Do you?"

"No." He shrugged. "I'm not close enough for my mother to want to name Mini-Fae after her," he ignored the deep sigh Elphaba heaved at his use of that name, "and I don't have any other family members I'm still in touch with."

"How about this," she said. "We pick a first name, and if 'Fae' sounds nice with that, I'll let you have that one and we can make it her middle name."

He grinned widely and pulled her close to kiss her again. "You are amazing, my beautiful wife, and I love you so much. You did great today. I'm so proud of you."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "Right back at you," she murmured.

They were quiet for a while. Fiyero thought she had fallen asleep – she'd napped a few times that day, but he could tell she was still exhausted from giving birth – but then she suddenly said quietly, "I like Maia."

"Maia," he repeated, trying out the name. "I like that, too. Where did you hear it?"

"It was the name of the heroine of my favourite book when I was a girl," she said. "I didn't even remember it until now. It was a story about a girl who tried so hard, but never fit in with her peers. Then she turned out to be the chosen one to go on a quest and retrieve some long-lost magical object. Along the way, she fell in love, and she ended up a queen." He could hear the wistful smile in her voice. "You can see why it was my favourite, can't you?"

"I do," he said, resting his chin on her head. "You're _my_ queen."

He expected her to roll her eyes or sigh, but she just smiled. "And you're my hero." She yawned, clearly tired, and he ran his fingers through her hair in an attempt to lull her to sleep.

"Wait," he whispered suddenly. "Before you fall asleep, one thing." She made a non-committal sound and he asked hopefully, "Does 'Fae' sound good with 'Maia'?"

She let out a throaty chuckle. "Yeah," she murmured, snuggling a bit closer to him and heaving a contented sigh. "That sounds nice."

"Maia Fae Tiggular," Fiyero tried. He smiled widely. "I like it."

His wife gave no response, but he hadn't really expected one. He nuzzled her hair and thanked his lucky stars for leading him to Elphaba, corny as that was. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy in his entire life and he could only hope it would last forever.

* * *

 **I'd actually already written the AN that would accompany this chapter, back when it was still going to be a full story. That AN was 'Spoiler alert: It won't. Muahahahaha.' Now that there won't be any more chapters, though, let's make it 'Spoiler alert: It does.' Because yay for happy Fiyeraba.**

 **Thanks for reading everyone and I hope to see you again sometime! You might want to look me up on Archive of Our Own, since I'll be posting my newer fanfics there (I might still post my Wicked ones on here, too, but I'm currently working on some different fandoms, mainly Lucifer and Once Upon A Time).**


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